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Meeting Highlights:
- Haleon’s Role in Everyday Health: Haleon’s commitment to delivering better everyday health to humanity.
- The Importance of Self-Care and Prevention: Emphasizing self-care and prevention as fundamental pillars of public health.
- Strategic Focus Areas: Prioritizing three key categories—multivitamins to address nutritional gaps, therapeutic oral care, and pain management.
- Driving Education and Access: Launching impactful initiatives like the Healthy Saudi Smile program and Pain Management Institute.
- Strengthening Local Manufacturing: Investing in local production to enhance affordability, accessibility, and security of supply for Saudi consumers.
- Leveraging Market Insights for Innovation: Utilizing local market insights to develop tailored healthcare solutions—balancing innovation with shareholder value.
- Aligning with Saudi Vision 2030: Supporting Saudi Arabia’s healthcare transformation by advancing preventive care and public health initiatives.
- Empowering Local Talent: Fostering the development of local talent while managing a diverse team—strengthening workforce capabilities in the healthcare sector.
EF: Can you elaborate on Haleon’s role in Saudi Arabia today and how the spin-off has contributed to its current position?
AB: Haleon plays a significant role in Saudi Arabia's healthcare sector, specifically in consumer healthcare, which focuses on non-prescription medicines. We provide over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and therapeutic oral care products in Saudi Arabia. Our brands, such as Sensodyne for sensitive teeth, Parodontax for gum health, and Corega for denture care, go beyond basic oral hygiene—they actively improve people's health and quality of life. One of our key commitments is promoting self-care. This means encouraging people to take preventive health measures and manage minor health issues, like pain or the flu, without immediately seeing a doctor. Instead, they can visit a pharmacy for advice or choose the right OTC treatment themselves. Given that healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia—and globally—are often overburdened, shifting more people toward self-care and pharmacy consultations helps reduce pressure on hospitals and clinics. To support this shift, we run various awareness campaigns to educate consumers on how to manage common health conditions, such as pain relief, cold and flu symptoms, and vitamin deficiencies. Our goal is to empower people to make informed health decisions while also contributing to the broader healthcare industry in Saudi Arabia.
EF: What are your key missions and priorities for 2025 and beyond?
AB: As a global company, we have a clear purpose: to improve everyday health with a human touch. This mission is the same whether we are in Buenos Aires, New York, or Saudi Arabia. When it comes to Saudi Arabia, we have three main priorities for 2025:
Expanding the Multivitamins Market – We plan to introduce new Centrum multivitamin products to Saudi Arabia, targeting different consumer needs such as specialized formulas for men, women, and children. Saudi consumers are highly responsive to innovation, and we aim to meet this demand with new and effective products.
Advancing Therapeutic Oral Care – We are bringing innovative oral care solutions to the market. For example, we launched Sensodyne Clinical White in Saudi Arabia at the same time as the leading markets in the West. This is the first clinically proven whitening toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth. Saudi consumers appreciate innovation, and we want to be at the forefront of this trend. Additionally, we run the Healthy Saudi Smile initiative, which promotes awareness of oral hygiene and encourages people to take better care of their dental health. This program is not focused on selling products but on educating the public about the importance of oral health.
Improving Pain Management – Our well-known brands, including Panadol, Voltaren, and Advil, are widely trusted in Saudi Arabia. In addition to distributing these products, we have launched the Pain Management Institute, an initiative aimed at educating healthcare professionals with the latest science on pain treatment. This helps them provide better guidance to patients dealing with different types of pain.
By focusing on these three areas—multivitamins, oral care awareness, and pain management—we aim to make a meaningful impact in Saudi Arabia by 2025. If we succeed in these efforts, we will consider it a great achievement.
EF: Why should investors choose Saudi Arabia over other markets in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors?
AB: Saudi Arabia has already established itself as the key business hub in the Middle East. When companies plan their regional strategies, Saudi Arabia is the first market they consider because it is the most attractive and influential in the Middle East and Africa.
One of the main reasons for this is its large population. With around 36 million people, including 22 million Saudi nationals, it stands out compared to neighboring Gulf countries like Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman, which have much smaller populations. This makes Saudi Arabia a far more significant market in terms of consumer reach. Additionally, its economy is one of the largest consumer-driven markets, not just in the region but globally. For example, the Saudi market for certain products, like oral care and pain relief, is just as large as Turkey, making it highly attractive for investors.
Another key factor is the rapid transformation Saudi Arabia has undergone in the past five years. Business regulations and market accessibility have improved significantly, and authorities like the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) have become a benchmark for other countries. Those who visited Saudi Arabia several years ago and return today can clearly see the changes, from infrastructure development to regulatory advancements. The ease of doing business has improved dramatically, creating a much more favorable environment for companies.
For our company, all these factors led to an increased commitment to the Saudi market. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Investment and established local manufacturing, something that would not have been considered a decade ago. Today, Panadol is being produced in Saudi Arabia, demonstrating how much the business landscape has evolved. Furthermore, Haleon is an independent legal entity fully operational and based in Jeddah. This reflects our strong long-term commitment and confidence in Saudi Arabia's future. While there is still room for further improvements, the progress made over the past four years has been remarkable, and we see continued growth opportunities in the years ahead.
EF: What attracted you to the Saudi market, and what motivated your decision to lead the office there?
AB: Leadership, in my view, centers on one crucial trait—curiosity. It may seem like a small quality, but it has the power to either open doors or keep them closed. Being curious about how people think, work, and live can make a significant difference. Saudi Arabia, in particular, is a fascinating and somewhat mysterious market. To truly understand it, you need to experience it firsthand—walk its streets, engage with local leaders, and interact with the people. It is a place that draws you in, making the experience much more than just a job. For me, being here is an adventure, both professionally and personally. We have discovered that the reality of Saudi Arabia far exceeds common perceptions. In fact, the experience has been overwhelmingly positive, surpassing our expectations in many ways. This journey is a combination of curiosity, continuous learning, and personal growth. It pushes you beyond your comfort zone. If you ask my team about me, they will likely tell you that I am constantly on the move—meeting customers, visiting different offices, and traveling to cities like Riyadh and Dammam. While this is, of course, part of my work, it is also driven by my passion for exploration and discovery.
EF: You moved during the pandemic when the company was undergoing a full rebranding. What drives you to take on such transformative challenges?
AB: At the end of the day, you have to engage with customers, inspire the team, and drive results. Our team in Saudi Arabia is a unique mix of both local and expatriate employees. What sets us apart from many other markets is that our company holds the highest possible status as a Platinum Employer in the Saudi labor office. This recognition comes from maintaining a workforce where nearly 50% of employees are Saudi nationals, surpassing the required threshold and we enjoy the richness of this diversity.
Our team is truly international, with members from 13 different countries working alongside a strong pool of local Saudi talent. In addition to this, we have also launched an internship program specifically designed to nurture young Saudi professionals. This initiative primarily focuses on female university students in their final year, providing them with valuable experience and skills to prepare them for the job market. Beyond our daily business operations, we are also committed to skills development and competency building within the market. Many companies now share our perspective on Saudi Arabia—seeing it as a promising and strategic place to invest. This has led to an influx of both businesses and talent, making the market incredibly dynamic and fast-growing. For companies looking to expand and for professionals seeking new opportunities, Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly a great place to be.
EF: How do you keep your diverse team motivated while developing local talent in Saudi Arabia?
AB: Moving to a new country can be a humbling experience. You might think you know what to expect, but in reality, you are stepping into the unknown. When I arrived, I quickly realized that two key factors were essential for success. The first is team engagement. We put strong attention on measuring and improving engagement within our team, and I am proud to say that our most recent engagement score was exceptionally high. It was not only one of the best in the Middle East and Africa but also ranked among the highest across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Of course, engagement is not something you achieve once and keep forever—it requires continuous effort and commitment. The second key element is leadership. It is not just about me; it is about the entire leadership team and how we promote a high-performance culture. Our focus is not just on skill development but on creating an environment where talent thrives and contributes to long-term, sustainable growth. As part of this, we participate in initiatives like Growing at Haleon Week, where employees across the world—from New York to Qatar to Saudi Arabia—engage in learning and knowledge-sharing sessions. This is not just about theoretical training; it is about real-life experiences, where leaders and professionals share their insights, making it an engaging and valuable program.
What makes our approach effective is its authenticity. Many corporate initiatives can feel forced or unimpactful, but this one genuinely brings value by encouraging engagement and professional growth. At the end of the day, developing talent within a high-performance culture is about creating a workplace where people feel motivated. Of course, work has its challenges—not every customer will be satisfied, and not every day will be perfect. But the goal is to build an environment where people feel positive and even smile on their way to work, knowing they are part of something meaningful.
EF: As you celebrate five years in Saudi Arabia, what legacy do you hope to build, and what key message would you share in a celebratory speech?
AB: First, I see myself as an example for the team, encouraging them to explore opportunities beyond where they are. Some might have initially thought I was a complete mismatch for this market—coming from a different culture, a different country, and not speaking Arabic. But what truly matters is curiosity. That is why I encourage my team to embrace adaptability and authenticity wherever they go. I want to leave behind a legacy that inspires them to believe in their ability to step into new environments, learn, and succeed. I hope they remember my experience and think, "If he could do it, so can I." The second point is about our core purpose. We are here to improve people’s health every day with humanity while also delivering value to our shareholders. While engagement and teamwork are essential to how we operate, performance and results are equally important. Our culture is built on collaboration, prioritizing customers, and fostering growth—not just for ourselves but for those around us. Ultimately, we aim to outperform our competitors and expand our market presence. That is what drives us. We are a performance-driven company. We focus on positive values and engagement, but success is measured by our ability to meet commitments and achieve real results.
